The Way I Look At You
by for you to figure out
Summary: It's a hard thing being in love with your best friend. It's like being trapped behind a one way mirror. Everything you feel is behind that mirror. All you can see is that one person you've been in love with for who knows how long. They surround every sense and every thought. They become every dream and even every nightmare. They become everything. But they can't see a thing.
1. Chapter 1

_**I don't know, I guess I blame RJ and my lack of prom date for this one. **_

* * *

It's a hard thing being in love with your best friend. It's like being trapped behind a one way mirror. Everything you feel is behind that mirror. All you can see is that one person you've been in love with for who knows how long. They surround every sense and every thought. They become every dream and even every nightmare. They become everything.

But they can't see a thing.

* * *

It's prom. Junior year. Ally's hair is longer, he's taller, she's smaller. Everything seems to be in place. Everything but his heart. They're in second period when Ethan decides to waltz in with his stupid spiky hair, his stupid straight teeth, and his stupid perfect nose. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Just like how he asks Ally to prom. Who even uses paper heart cutouts anymore?

Stupid.

She squeals and accepts while he swallows the bile in his throat. It takes all of his strength not to punch the kid in the face. Instead he tells the teacher he's not feeling good and asks to be excused. She lets him go with a sympathetic glance.

"Austin where are you-" the door slams shut behind him. "-going." Ally breathes out. She gives the door a once over wondering if she should go check on him but decides against it. He probably just ate something bad for breakfast. Shaking it off she smiles and gives Ethan another hug before returning to her desk. Austin doesn't come back to school that day.

* * *

They're sitting in math the next day when she finally decides to confront him.

"Austin? Are you okay? You ran out awful quick yesterday."

"I'm fine." He snaps and she bites her lip in shock.

"Obviously you're not fi-"

"Ally." He whispers harshly finally meeting her eyes. All she sees is hurt. "I'm fine."

Now she's the one who looks hurt. Since when does her best friend keep things from her?

"Austin is this because you don't have a date to prom? Because Trish doesn't have one either so you won't be alo-"

He interrupts her by taping Brooke on the shoulder. The brunette spins around and almost faints when he gives her a smirk.

"Will you go to prom with me?" He asks in the most casual of ways and she nods so fast that Ally thinks her stupid head is going to fall off. Brooke turns around and furiously starts texting her friends while Ally just stares at him.

"Happy?" He asks and she diverts her eyes back to her math equations.

"Are you?" She asks looking back up and she watches him swallow harshly.

"Just do your math, Ally." He whispers.

It feels like a slap in the face.

"O-okay." She stutters out and he immediately feels bad. But not as bad as she makes his heart feel.

When the bell rings he's up and out the door before she can even put down her pencil. She blinks back tears as she pulls out her pencil case and begins to put her things away, Why was he so mad at her? What had she done? Her thoughts are interrupted when Ethan sticks his head in the door. He jogs over and sits in front of her, taking her hand.

"Hey, what's wrong? I was waiting for you outside but you didn't come." That's when she realizes she'd been frozen in thought for longer than she had realized. Lunch began five minutes ago.

"Oh. Um, right. Sorry. I just spaced out." She gathers up her things and they both walk out of the door.

"So where do you want to eat?" Ethan asks sliding his hand into hers

"Actually-" she whispers squinting down at their conjoined hands. "-I'd really like to be alone right now."

"Oh. Alright. Th-that's fine. Just know I'm here if you need anything." He says dropping her hand and stepping away. She sighs in relief when he finally rounds the corner. She scurries to the spot she knows he'll be and smiles at the back of his blonde head. He's leaning by their favorite tree. It's where they write most of their lyrics, it's where they do their homework; it's where they eat lunch. But now that she thinks about it she hasn't been to the tree in weeks.

She's been too busy with Ethan.

She slides down next to him and leans her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.

"For what?" He asks not expecting her to apologize for something that was very much his fault. She didn't ask him to fall in love with her.

"For not being around as much. I guess I just got caught up in Ethan and forgot I have a best friend to think about too." She smiles as she pokes him in the arm. As much as he hates that word, and the meaning behind it, he can't stay mad at her.

She watches as a smile slowly makes its way onto his face and his fingers start picking at a flower near his feet.

"Close your eyes." He murmurs and of course she listens. She trusts him with her life. Her hands are gripping his right bicep and her chin is resting on his shoulder. He wishes they could stay like this forever. Carefully he picks the light pink flower from beside his foot and places it behind her ear. A breeze blows her brown locks and the sun is hitting her in just the right light.

Oh man, is he ever in deep.

She smiles and opens her eyes. They sit in silence for the rest of lunch. She keeps her head on his shoulder though, so he doesn't really mind.

* * *

"Ally these heels are perfect!" Trish squeals and Ally lets out a loud sigh when she sees the sparkly silver shoes.

"They're so pretty." She whispers and he laughs at how in awe she is over a pair of shoes. Grabbing them right out of Trish's hands she sticks them on her feet and stands up. She walks around doing crazy poses making them all laugh but when she trips over a piece of loose carpet, it's Austin to the rescue.

"Thanks." She huffs out breathlessly gripping his arms.

"You know it's crazy how even in those... things, you're still impossibly short." He laughs lightly and apparently he struck a nerve because she makes a face and then sits down.

"I can't wear these Trish."

"Oh come on Ally I'm sorry. I was just kidding you're not even that sh-"

"I'll be just as tall if not taller than Ethan. I want to be looking at him not over him." She sighs putting the shoes back in the box.

"Aw I'm sorry, Ally. Maybe next year?" She asks and Austin silently crosses his fingers promising he'll find her a taller date next year. One that doesn't bother him so much.

Once again someone who's not him.

* * *

He's tired, annoyed, and a little depressed sitting in the dress shop.

Tired because they've been shopping all day, annoyed because Dez ditched him to go customize his tux, and depressed because every single thing they've done today is a reminder that she's going to prom with someone else. That her heart belongs to someone else.

"Guys?" Ally calls from inside the door and he sighs because this is the fourth dress she's tried. She looked cute in every single one of them.

"I think I want this one." Ally murmurs before pushing the door open.

A strange thing a dress can do to you. Before he can stop it his heart is hammering in his ears and his throat thickens. The whole room is quiet and Trish's eyes are wide with excitement.

"Oh my god, Ally." She whispers.

She smiles and nods her head giving Ally her silent approval.

He feels like he might break when her eager eyes meet his.

"Austin?" She asks begging him with her eyes to tell her that she looks okay.

"I-" he takes a deep breath trying to give himself the courage to push out the next sentence. "You look-"

He can't do it.

Because before he can, in comes Ethan with his stupid tux. Could that fitting have lasted just a few more minutes?

"Wow Ally you look awesome!" He exclaims dropping his tux onto a chair.

Awesome. Yup he said it.

"Awesome? Oh, um, thank you."

Austin rolls his eyes and Trish shakes her head.

Stupid.

When they finally part from Ethan in the mall parking lot he takes Trish home first before driving Ally back to her house. When he pulls into her driveway he parks the car and helps her carry her bags inside.

They drop everything on her bed and stand back to admire their work.

"You never told me what you thought of my dress." She whispers crossing her arms and glancing at him from the side. Why did she suddenly feel so small?

"Wow Ally you look awesome!" He mimics in a high pitched voice and she breaks into laughter giving his chest a good shove.

"Oh shut up!"

Before she can pull her hand away though he grabs it and pulls her closer to him.

"You're my best friend you better at least lie and say I looked nice." She says smiling up at him.

"Even if I wasn't your best friend-" he whispers brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "-I would still tell you, you looked beautiful."

Then with a kiss to her forehead, he's gone before she can even catch her breath.

* * *

_**Yeah don't expect much from this. **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I wrote this waaaaaaaaaaaay before the prom episodes came out so they don't correlate at all, sorry.**_

* * *

"Austin!"

"Yeah?" He asks turning around to find an excited Trish behind him.

"Guess what?" She squeals and he laughs at her shutting his locker.

"What?"

"I said guess but I'm too excited to wait so l'll just tell you. I got a date! His name is Jackson and he's really great." She sighs dreamily.

"That's awesome! I'm really happy for you Trish."

"Oh also I booked you to sing at prom. Well bye!"

His eyes are wide and he grabs her arm pulling her back.

"You what?" He exclaims and she laughs nervously.

"It's just one song, Austin! Please?" She begs and he finally complies.

"Fine. But only to get away for a little bit."

"Get away from Brooke? Or get away from Ally and Ethan?"

He sighs leaning back on his locker and running a hand over his face.

"Both I guess." He drops his hands in defeat. "I don't know."

"I know that it sucks, being in love with someone who doesn't love you back, but just because she doesn't love you right now doesn't mean she never will. Just hang in there, okay? No one could ever replace you Austin. Especially not Ethan." She gives his shoulder a pat before walking away down the hall. Funny how not even two seconds later the happy couple strolls out of their history class together. He rolls his eyes.

Maybe he could become a magician. His first trick? Making somebody disappear. He wouldn't have to look for any assistants.

Ethan would do just fine.

* * *

She's been looking around for him all day. Prom was tonight and he hadn't even bothered to come find her. She decides that since she has math next period anyway she'll just wait it out.

Maybe she'll pee first.

Raising her hand she dashes out the door and sighs in relief as she washes her hands. She's walking back to class when she hears the piano in the music room being played. The melody sounds beautiful and she wonders if the person wrote the piece.

The last thing she expects is to push open the door and see Austin surrounded by paper and writing something down in his notebook.

"You wrote a song without me?" She whispers tears filling her eyes and he whips around.

"How much did you hear?"

"I didn't hear anything. That's the problem. You're pushing me away! I'm sorry that I haven't been around as much as I used to be but I can't just sit around with you all the time when I have a boyfriend. I have a life, Austin but that doesn't mean I want you to completely cut me out of yours." She's flustered and hurt but she has no right to be.

"Ally you haven't even talked to me aside from class in weeks!" He yells standing up. "Do you even hear yourself? I haven't cut you out of my life, Ally. You've cut me out of yours." He moves to walk past her, notebook in hand, but she stops him.

"So that's it? Friendship over?" She asks and he just shrugs.

"I don't want that, Austin." She whispers and he looks down at the words he wrote.

"Tell me if you still feel that way after tonight."

"Wha- Austin! If you walk out that door I'm done." She yells and he pauses hand on the knob.

And then he's gone.

* * *

"Ally cheer up. We're taking pictures in an hour and only so much makeup can cover up the tears." Trish tells her handing her, her last earring.

"I can't believe he just... left." She whispers fumbling with the metal piece of jewelry. "I thought our friendship meant more to him than that."

Trish gives her friend a sympathetic look and internally debates whether to spill Austin's little secret.

"Ally-"

The door swings open and Ally quickly puts in her earring before turning around and standing up.

"I'm extending your curfew until one so please be respon-" he cuts himself off when he looks at her.

"Dad don't cry!" Ally pleads and he wipes at his old round face.

"I'm sorry that dress just looks... so expensive!" He wails and she rolls her eyes.

"It makes you look like a million dollars though." He laughs through his (not so) fake tears. "So I'll let it slide. When's Austin getting here?" He asks and her smile drops.

"In, like, five minutes why?"

"I need pictures of you and your date don't I?" Trish's eyes widen at his statement and Ally gapes at him like a fish.

"Dad. I'm going to prom with Ethan." Ally whispers and he looks surprised.

"You're not going... with... Austin." He concludes and she nods gingerly.

"I take back what I said earlier. You better be home by ten." He says.

"What? Dad! That's not fa-"

"I don't know this boy, Ally. I don't know his motives. I want you back here before ten. I'm not leaving you with someone I don't trust." He says giving her a stern look and she nods deciding not to fight it. He closes the door after shooting her one last smile and she collapses in a huff on her bed.

"I don't know if I can face him Trish. I know that sounds pathetic but he really hurt me." She says and Trish tries to bite back the comment bubbling in her throat but she can't. She just can't anymore.

"Maybe you're the one hurting him." She snaps and Ally squints at her.

"Wha-"

"Ally! Trish! Get down here the guys are here!"

Ally gives her a look that let's her know this conversation isn't over.

"You can head down I need to put something in my songbook first."

"Alright." Trish sighs heading out the door and she can hear her voice start to mingle with the rest.

She looks at the door contemplating how long she can stall before they come looking for her. Maybe just long enough for her to pick up the picture of her and Austin on her bedside table and run her fingers over his face. Frowning she places the picture frame face down and slides it under her bed.

Picture Austin and Ally don't get to taunt her with their happiness.

* * *

It's freaking hard for him to watch her walk down the stairs and right onto an undeserving Ethan's arm. He doesn't even compliment her he just says hi and leads her to the cameras. He told Brooke to meet him at the dance. He doesn't want memories of prom with another girl.

Once everyone's done taking their couple pictures, and Austin and Dez take a bro picture, they finish their group shots and get ready to leave. He almost has his other shoe on when he hears Mr. Dawson's voice.

"Austin! Ally! Get in here I didn't get a picture of you two!"

"Um-" Ally glances at him and then back to her dad. "-we don't really need one dad it's not a big deal."

Her dad gives her a look and she sighs walking over to him. It takes him a second to register that her dad wants him to follow but once he finally does, he almost face plants from tripping over his shoe.

Nice.

He slowly walks up to her and she's staring at the floor. He expected it but it still hurts a little bit.

"Okay kids, ready?"

Ally gives him a weak smile and Austin just settles for a stoic look. The flash goes off but her dad apparently isn't satisfied.

"That looks a little cold." He mutters. "Come on you two give me a real smile."

He wraps his arm around her waist and she freezes not knowing what to do. She eventually leans into his side.

"Hey Ally?" He whispers and she raises her eyebrow still refusing to look at him. "What did the electric eel say when his wife told him she was pregnant?"

There's a pause.

"I'm shocked."

And that's how the camera goes off. She's mid laugh and he's smirking down at her with 'I love you' written all over his face.

Too bad she wasn't looking.

She didn't see him.

She never saw him.


End file.
